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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29824212">Your Brother's Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elamarth_Calmagol/pseuds/Elamarth_Calmagol'>Elamarth_Calmagol</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Everything Hurts, Family, Gen, Identity Issues, Twins, War of Wrath</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:06:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29824212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elamarth_Calmagol/pseuds/Elamarth_Calmagol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I thought of the worst possible reason for Elrond and Elros' choice of fates, and then I decided to inflict it on you.</p><p>Or, everyone's best intentions lead to the worst result.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elrond Peredhel &amp; Elros Tar-Minyatur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Your Brother's Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Considering I made several people cry from this on Tumblr, I figured this was good enough to post here.  I did some editing as well.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Eönwë called for the twins to make the decision about their fates, to be counted as an Elf or a Man, he insisted upon speaking to them separately.  Elrond did not understand why.  He and Elros had been born together, had been raised together, and had stayed together through everything that had happened to them.  They were twins, and they needed to stay with each other.  Of course they would choose the same way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This choice cannot be undone,” the great herald explained.  He was very tall and very bright, though not a brightness that could be seen with the eyes.  It was difficult for Elrond to look at him.  “It must be thy choice and not thy brother’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t I just be whatever he chooses?” he asked.  His Quenya, which he was usually proud of, sounded informal and childish here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dost thou wish to live thy brother’s life or thine own?” Eonwë asked.  “Thou must consider whom thou art.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elrond knew who he was: a mortal.  He had always been mortal.  He was not sure what rule determined the fates of peredhel souls, but they were mortal from birth.  He had never felt entirely at home with the Elves he had grown up with, either in Sirion or among the Fëanorians.  He had never quite felt like anyone he knew (other than Elros, of course) until he had met the Mannish refugees fleeing the war.  Their swift lives, their determination and lack of desire to sit and wait, made him feel like he belonged.  He knew that they needed a leader, someone born and raised to be a king, trained in history and diplomacy and statecraft.  He could be that person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Elros was different in this way.  He had always been different.  He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> belong among Elves, and he had never questioned that.  Instead, he had always been bothered by the knowledge that he was mortal, that he grew up too quickly but at the same time not quickly enough.  When he had heard the story of their parents, the fact that their souls were now immortal despite their mixed birth, he had nearly cried in happiness at the thought that he might have the same option.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Elrond did not need to argue that he wanted to make the same choice as his brother.  He did not need to demand to wait and find out what Elros would choose.  He knew what his twin’s answer would be, and he knew how to keep them together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be one of the Eldar,” he said.  “I will be immortal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was just one thing that he had not considered.  They were twins.  And twins thought alike.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just to be clear, this isn't my headcanon, just a terrible thought I had.  Though it's possible they had these feelings about their identity, only in reverse.  Or maybe this is all true and they just overcame it as the centuries passed.</p><p>Tumblr link:  <a href="https://elamarth-calmagol.tumblr.com/post/644505709159006210/your-brothers-life">https://elamarth-calmagol.tumblr.com/post/644505709159006210/your-brothers-life</a></p><p>Changes from Tumblr: Eönwë is spelled correctly, and he uses thou/thee because it's a more accurate "translation" and sounds more formal.  Title remains as-is.  Elrond comments on his Quenya.  Word choices and grammar edited.  No beta.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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